Has any one got their building connected to Virgin Media?

Halduffelot

Afternoon Moneysavers,

I'm looking to get internet in my Glasgow flat. My first choice was Virgin Media - I've used them before and their broadband promises to only get faster.

However although the fibre optic cable which Virgin use is in my street my building is not connected to it, though all the other flats in the street are.

Virgin tell me they have no plans to connect the building. But I wonder if I could get a few of my neighbours to sign up as well, would it be in their interests?

Has anyone successfully lobbied Virgin and got their building connected?

spike7451

It's not as simple as that.You have Wayleave permits & NISRAN Streetworks Excavations to contend with,how far is the nearest DP & is the enough capacity left in the cab.Does the network duct pass your flat's?If not,how far away is the nearest duct & is the capacity?
In my 8 years with NTL/VM as an engineer,I've only known it to be done once.
BTW,The fibre optic goes to the Mux/DA node your area is connected to & it's then copper from there on,so it's doubtful the fibres in your street unless the Mux/DA is.

cheghead

Halduffelot wrote: »

Afternoon Moneysavers,

I'm looking to get internet in my Glasgow flat. My first choice was Virgin Media - I've used them before and their broadband promises to only get faster.

However although the fibre optic cable which Virgin use is in my street my building is not connected to it, though all the other flats in the street are.

Virgin tell me they have no plans to connect the building. But I wonder if I could get a few of my neighbours to sign up as well, would it be in their interests?

Has anyone successfully lobbied Virgin and got their building connected?

Similar problem here. All houses in my street (come cul-de-sac area) connected for fibre except mine and immediate neighbour!:eek:

spike7451

cheghead wrote: »

Similar problem here. All houses in my street (come cul-de-sac area) connected for fibre except mine and immediate neighbour!:eek:

As I stated above,you're NOT connected to fibre,your street is connected to copper, from the homes back to the DP/E Cab then to the DA/Mux,which could be 1/2mile away,only THEN are you connected to fibre.

cheghead

spike7451 wrote: »

As I stated above,you're NOT connected to fibre,your street is connected to copper, from the homes back to the DP/E Cab then to the DA/Mux,which could be 1/2mile away,only THEN are you connected to fibre.

Whatever the technicalities...:think:I can't get Virgin Media cable service_pale_

macman

Spike-so VM's much trumpeted 'fibre optic network' is in fact only fibre to the cabinet then?

spike7451

macman wrote: »

Spike-so VM's much trumpeted 'fibre optic network' is in fact only fibre to the cabinet then?

Sort of.The fibre terminates in a DA (Distribution Amplifier for the TV & BBand) & the Mux (Multiplexer for the phone) which are usually 2 large street cabinets next to each other like these;
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/2673/img4921y.jpg
http://www.nbr.co.nz/files/0cabinet.jpg
(Although those are different than those over here)
These are known as 'nodes' & are in a ring of eight.
The fibre going into the mux goes into a splitter & then onto 30channel (phonelines) linecards & then copper into the E sides at the sied of the Mux,these are then jumpered up (Tie Pairs) to D sides & then go off via x pair copper to the DP (Distribution Point) where it's connected to Krone strips & then on to the house.
The Fibre entering the DA is converte to copper & boosted & then distributed to the DP's via thick copper cables.When it arrives at the DP,It goes into a Splitter & Magnavox amplifier & relays off to the various tap banks,these are of different strengths & connect to a homes siamese drop cable along with the phone.
Also from the Splitter,the is more thick copper cables that go off to other DP's & smaller E Cabinets.




On the left of the picture of the DP,you can see the copper cables going into the gold splitter with one going back out to another DP,then onto the Magnavox at the top.The thick wires are then going onto the Tap Banks,then the thin black cables going off to the house.
On the right,you can see phone cable going into the yellow Krone strips for the phone,it's then tie paired over to the grey strips which run to the house.This is different than we do it here,we connect to the krone strips & dont use the grey strips.
HTH,
Spike.

macman

Any chance you could explain that in a bit more detail please?...

Halduffelot

Thanks for the very prompt reply,
in the occasion when it was done, what were the circumstances?

Forgive me, but not sure of the lingo - what's a DP and a DA?

It looks like I'll have to get something through my phone line. In your experience who offers the best service? I suspect you'll say Virgin! M.

jem16

Halduffelot wrote: »

It looks like I'll have to get something through my phone line. In your experience who offers the best service? I suspect you'll say Virgin! M.

If you are in an O2/Be LLU enabled exchange then go with them.

Have to say from experience - now currently have both - that O2 is better than Virgin in the evenings.

spike7451

macman wrote: »

Any chance you could explain that in a bit more detail please?...

You did ask!:p

Halduffelot wrote: »

Thanks for the very prompt reply,
in the occasion when it was done, what were the circumstances?

Forgive me, but not sure of the lingo - what's a DP and a DA?

It looks like I'll have to get something through my phone line. In your experience who offers the best service? I suspect you'll say Virgin! M.

DA is next to the Mux,the is 1 per node,DP is the ones you see on street corners ect,the can be oodles of these & the smaller E cabs running off the DA.The pic above is a DP.

The circumstances were when the was existing ducting running past the property & the management company got NTL to install it at the time of building.
If the ducting runs past your apartment,(look in the stret for manhole covers with NTL or Teewest ect on them) & the are homes near you with small 4in square plastic (or tarmac patches) next to the front walls in your street,they may be able to drop in a swept tee outside your property & treat it as a normal house.
I'd ring VM & ask for an On-Site Survey to be done.
HTH.
In fact,the was another.A NTL manager lived in a new (posh) estate & the nearest NTL was 1/4 mile away.
However,the was another way,& 6 of us spent 2 days on it! We ran the cable from a DP,across grass,down into a steep gorge,accross a stream & up the other side of the gorge & into the managers back garden,where a E cab was set up for him & his neighbours.
We used something like 20 bags of cement to bury the cable accross the gorge..:eek: